2 0 12 G L O B A L R E P O R T SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC UNHCR’s presence in 2012 5 Number of offices 393 Total staff 35 International staff 331 National staff 1 UNVs 26 Others | Overview |         Implementing partners Government agencies: Operational highlights  Partners The escalating conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria) created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that led to displacement both within the country and across its borders. Some 2 million Syrians were displaced internally, and more than half a million Syrian refugees were registered in other countries in the region at the end of 2012. UNHCR assisted more than 700,000 internally displaced people. Essential nonfood items (NFIs) were supplied to more than 450,000 people. UNHCR’s multi-sector response also targeted shelter, water and sanitation, financial assistance, health, community services and education. The lack of security and deteriorating socio-economic conditions forced thousands of Iraqi refugees to return to Iraq. This reduced the number of Iraqi refugees assisted by UNHCR in Syria from some 101,900 in January 2012 to some 62,700 at the end of 2012, a reduction of 38 per cent. Nearly 26,700 Iraqi and some 2,600 non-Iraqi refugee families benefitted from UNHCR’s cash-for-food programme, which used automatic teller machine (ATM) cards. A presidential decree in April 2011 granted Syrian nationality to some 104,000 formerly stateless Kurds. The use of refugee outreach volunteers proved to be an effective way of accessing and providing assistance to the most vulnerable refugee groups. The Syrian Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs agreed to grant refugees with special needs access to critical government-provided social services. Ministry of Local Administration, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Office of the Governor of Al-Hassakah, Al Bassel Hospital, General Assembly of Damascus Hospital NGOs: Acción Contra El Hambre, Al-Nada Organization for Women’s Development, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, Danish Refugee Council, General Union of Syrian Women, Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement, Première Urgence - Aide Médicale Internationale, Secours Islamique People of concern In 2012, UNHCR’s main populations of concern in Syria were internally displaced Syrians who have been fleeing conflict-affected areas of the country since March 2011 and Iraqi and non-Iraqi refugees who fled conflict in their country over the past decade. | UNHCR Global Report 2012 • Syrian Arab Republic • 1 | Français, Syrian Society for Social Development, Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society, Syria Trust for Development Others: UNOPS, UNV Operational partners Government agencies: Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs NGOs: HELP-Germany, ICMC, International Medical Corps, Mercy Corps, Ricerca e Cooperazione, Terre des Hommes (Italy), Terre des Hommes (Syria) Others: IFRC, IOM, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNRWA, UNV, WFP, WHO